


Legacy of a God Long Forgotten

by thesaintraphael



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, BAMF Hatake Kakashi, Blood and Gore, Cannibalism, Dubious Morality, Earn Your Happy Ending, Emotional Manipulation, Everyone Has Issues, F/M, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Hatake Clan-centric, Hatake Kakashi Has Issues, Hatake Kakashi is a Little Shit, Hatake Kakashi-centric, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Partial World Building, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Strong Female Characters, Tags Are Hard, Team Minato-centric, Wolf summons, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:50:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28589064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesaintraphael/pseuds/thesaintraphael
Summary: The Hatake was a terrifying clan, and no one, not even the Kami themselves could dispute that fact.They were said to be destined for tragedy, a short fuse that burnt out to soon."Lightning cracked across the sky, and the massive hulking forms of two wolves could be seen in the middle of the clearing. Iwa and Kohona-nin alike shrunk away from the looming presence, and the crackling feeling of ozone dancing playfully around the edge of the forest.Two figures sat atop the beasts, their smiles wide and blood-thirsty, the killing intent rolling off of the pair in waves the only proof that their ghostly presence wasn't an illusion."______________________________________AU where the Hatake clan was touched by gods, and just this side of insane.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Hatake Sakumo, Hatake Kakashi & Jiraiya, Hatake Kakashi & Namikaze Minato, Hatake Kakashi & Nara Shikaku, Hatake Kakashi & Nohara Rin, Hatake Kakashi & Nohara Rin & Uchiha Obito, Hatake Kakashi & Orochimaru, Hatake Kakashi & Sarutobi Hiruzen, Hatake Kakashi & Shiranui Genma, Hatake Kakashi & Tsunade, Hatake Kakashi & Uchiha Obito, Hatake Kakashi & Uzumaki Kushina, Namiashi Raidou/Shiranui Genma, Namikaze Minato/Uzumaki Kushina
Comments: 23
Kudos: 197





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [If Only We Were Leaf-born](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26420545) by [OHai_Here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OHai_Here/pseuds/OHai_Here). 



> This is my first ever fanfiction, so strap in for a bumpy ride folks! (also please be nice this is really hard haha :/)  
> I really loved this idea and just had to try it out for myself so here we are I guess.  
> There will probably not be a regular update schedule because motivation comes and goes, and I have questionable mental health at best so please be patient with me! I am trying my hardest!  
> I will add more notes & tags as I think of things.   
> Kudos and comments are appreciated.

The Hatakes were a terrifying clan. No one, not even the Kami themselves could dispute that.

As the story goes, their warriors rode into battle on towering wolves and always brought with them decimating storms of lighting and thunder that crashed like war drums, tanto blazing with the power of the legendary White Chakra.   
With deep coal eyes, hair and skin as white as the chakra they wield, few survivors (for shinobi who could say they survived an encounter with a Hatake were few & far between,) of their vicious battles could describe them as anything other than ghastly apparitions.   
The clan was never large by any means, but 1 Hatake is said to have been equal to 200 shinobi for their ferocity and power on the battlefield.  
Their pups are taught how to throw kunai and shuriken before they can talk, the rib bones of the Hatake’s opponents are often used for teething, and they are regarded as adults when they take their first heart. 

The tale speaks of a clan so fiercely loyal it would eventually become their downfall. It speaks of a clan that would do anything for it's village, and a village that would not do the same for it.   
The beginning of the end was brought about when the tension between Kumogakure and the Hatake clan finally snapped, and although many had called it and said it was a long time coming what with the rumors of the traitor in the clans midst, the defection still took many lives with it and was a great tragedy. The clan was left crippled with no loyalties, to face missing-nin and shinobi alike that were out for their blood.   
The rest of the tale varies depending upon who you ask, but it always ends the same, with the last Hatake, The White Fang. It finishes with the story of a grief stricken father whose son was taken by sickness. It speaks of his journey to destroy everyone and everything in his path of vengeance against the world, for taking away the only thing left of his clan.   
The story ends with a warning that everyone in the Elemental Nations can recite from memory.

"Should you ever meet a Hatake in battle, pray to whatever Kami you can think of that they have already eaten dinner."


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because the first chapter was just an intro it was a lot shorter, but I'm still going to keep them relatively short so it's easier for me to write.  
> The plot is kicking up really soon wohoo! Get excited!

Hatake Kakashi, son of The White Fang, (who is most certainly _not dead,_ thank you very much,) is thoroughly unimpressed. That isn't to say that it's easy to impress Kakashi, or that something in particular is getting on his nerves, this is just who he is as a person.

Although this morning has been especially irritating, it wasn't anything worth note. Unless of course you would consider his client lying about mission parameters, turning what was supposed to be an easy escort mission into a rather nasty dispute with some shinobi from Kumo that only ended when Kakashi's father slaughtered two entire 3-man cells, _worth note._ It isn't like the Hatakes have never had a client lie to them before, but lying to 2 presumed missing-nin about a mission through Kusagakure, the _front lines_ of the conflict between Iwa and Konoha, isn't something that many would have the balls to do.

After Sakumo negotiated their payment, ( ~~politely intimidated the client with his surprisingly terrifying son and their gigantic wolves~~ ,) the Hatakes headed back to where they had set up camp.

Even though they had plenty of funds to rent rooms at an onsen, the clan had always deviated towards places where there was space for their wolves to hunt and roam freely, and where they could sleep underneath the stars, so the pair set up camp more often then not.

* * *

In the the early months of Kakashi's life while Sakumo was grieving the loss of his partner, there was a house in the mountains of northern Earth Country. Kakashi's mother's body couldn't handle the strain of childbirth, and even with the medic-nin by her side every step of the way, it wasn't enough. After two days of agonizing labor, Tsuki Hatake died of chakra exhaustion with the frail form of her newborn son cradled in her arms. In the months following Tsuki's death, the last of the living Hatakes took up residence in a house provided to them by one of Sakumo's clientele. With Tsuki's body unable to completely support her developing child, Kakashi was born with an extremely weak constitution, and had difficulty maintaining his physical health in the early stages of his life. In the beginning of their stay, Sakumo's plan was to leave the house as soon as his son was healthy enough, but between Kakashi's fragile medical state and the crushing blow of losing his self-proclaimed soulmate, Sakumo was forced to hire a private medic-nin to watch over Kakashi while he completed missions for the owner of the home as substitution of rent money.

As Kakashi got older and his immune system grew stronger, he would sneak out into the backyard where Sakumo's summons often slept, and watch the stars until he too dozed off curled into one of the packs slumbering forms. About a week before the Hatakes left the Earth Country home , Sakumo found Kakashi on the back porch tracing the outline of the constellations with his index finger. 

"You know your mother is up there right kiddo?" Sakumo questioned his son as he sat down next to him, staring up at the sky all the while.

Of course Kakashi knew that he had a mother, it was just that he knew very little about her. Sometimes there were small details his tou-san would surrender after a night of expensive sake, but those were few and far between.

Curiosity piqued at the sudden emergence of a conversation Kakashi normally had pry from tou-sans inebriated lips, he hummed lightly in response.

"You remind me of her, pup. You both have tongues as sharp as knives, with incredible wit to back it up,"

At this, Kakashi did look up, shocked at the comparison, but to his surprise, Sakumo wasn't finished speaking.

" _and_ she's where you get that genius little brain of yours as well." Sakumo teased, ruffling his sons hair fondly.

Kakashi grumbled in response, swatting the elder Hatakes hands away from the unruly mane of white atop his head. The pair sat in companionable silence for awhile, the quiet only broken by the loud snores of Sakumo's youngest wolf, Noya.

The peace wasn't meant to last however, and just before Kakashi could open his mouth to ask his father the name of a particular constellation he had taken a liking to, Sakumo grabbed his son by the wrist and turned his head to look at Kakashi with a deep, searching stare. 

"Do you want me to tell you about her?" 

Kakashi gaped for a moment before nodding his head fervently, not giving much consideration to what brought the strange turn of conversation on.

The rest of the night was spent with Sakumo spinning tails of a woman named after the moon, her life and the love they shared, as their son drifted off to sleep in his lap. 

Before Sakumo drifted off to sleep along with his Kakashi, he turned his misty eyes to face the full moon, and softly whispered her a good night as well.

* * *

It happened while Sakumo was preparing dinner, and Kakashi was chasing a very disgruntled Yukio around the clearing in front of the cave they had set up camp in.

They _knew_ that the were in dangerous territory with the amount of activity concerning the war in the area, but they had already completed their mission, were planning on heading out early the next morning, _and_ Sakumo had let Kakashi set extra traps so he could blow off some steam after the shit-show of a mission they went on that morning. All in all, they should've been prepared for anything sent their way judging by usual movement in the area.

What the last Hatakes _didn't_ know however, was that Konoha planning the destruction of the very same bridge that their mission had led them over, and they continued to plan around the areas average day-to-day foot traffic.

"Kashi! Stop terrorizing Yukio, dinners finished!" Sakumo called out across the clearing and the grateful look his wolf sent him was almost worth the poisonous one his son shot his way.

"He stepped in some burrs and now he isn't letting me pick them out." Kakashi all but growled, glaring daggers a certain smug looking wolf summon as he served himself a plate. Sighing quietly to himself, Sakumo made his way over Yukio's hulking form with a kunai spinning around the tips of his fingers. Sakumo's hand was hovering just above the burr covered limb, seconds away from easily removing the problem and making a hasty getaway when-

"SAKUMO!" (if asked about this specific moment in time, Yukio would happily describe the way the legendary ninja nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of his own summons voice,) "SAKUMO, THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG, THE WIRES WERE TRIPPED!" The frantic sounding voice of Noya, the pup who was _supposed_ to be on watch, single-handedly shattered the calm atmosphere of the camp.

In an instant, Sakumo's tone switched to that of an experienced Jonin commander's.

"Kakashi, get Yagi & Yuri and pack up camp, Noya tell Tsubaki and I about what we're up against, and everyone else can help Kashi and the twins, or make yourselves useful somewhere else."

By the time Sakumo had finished speaking, his pack had already begun cleaning up camp and strapping on their mission gear in preparation for a fight.

Judging by the look on Noya's face, they were in for one hell of a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any unknown names in the chapter belong to the wolf summons.


	3. Chapter 3

Realistically, Minato knew he didn't have anything to worry about, but watching as the team he had been mentoring for the past 4 years sped away he couldn't help but tremble at the feeling of utter wrongness that prickled across his skin.

This would be their first mission alone, and while Minato was bursting with pride at how far they'd come, he was still wound tight something awful. 

As he sprinted along the tree line, he tried to take solace in the Hiruzen's words of comfort from earlier this morning. 

_Minato ran a hand down his face as he paced around the office._

_Hiruzen sat behind the desk, pipe in hand as he watched t_ _he Namikaze string barley legible sentences together in a fit of worry. It was painfully obvious to anyone who had been a Jonin-sensei that this was the first time his team had a leader on a mission other than Minato himself._

_The Hokage chuckled to himself and pushed up from his desk and made his was over to the fretting teacher._

_"Do you think you've trained your students to the best of your abilities?" Hiruzen questioned Minato as he sunk into the couches in the lounge._

_"Wha- Of course I have!" The blonde immediately jumped to defend himself, probably recalling the tense council meeting from earlier in the week. Hiruzen respected the Elders of course, but the old codgers could be incredibly nit-picky when discussing something they didn't like._

_"I'm not trying to imply I doubt your teaching capabilities Minato."_

_"O-oh right of course." he stuttered out, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly._

_Hiruzen raised an eyebrow at his protégé. "If you truly believe you have faith in your own teaching capabilities you have nothing worry about. It's true that this is Genma-kun's first mission as team leader, but he wasn't promoted to Jonin just for kicks. Put a little trust in your students competency."_

_Minato let out a sigh and shrank down into the couch. "I know, I know, it's just nerves, I just have not being out there with them."_

_"I don't know how many times I have to tell you, but you'll still be on the field. When you finish the mission on that front, you can use the kunai that I'll take the liberty to assume you were worried enough to give to Genma-kun, to speed over and help them out."_

_Taking a long drag from his pipe, the Hokage acknowledged that he was probably being harsh with his subordinate, but after a week straight of listening to him go on & on about the damn mission who wouldn't? _

_It wasn't like he was going to say that to the kid though._

_"If you believe in your students abilities and your own, you have nothing to worry about. They have proven themselves time and time again, and so have you. Over time it will get easier, but the first mission is pretty difficult, and if you're still really that worried about them, just try to finish your mission quickly. I have complete faith in you and your team Minato."_

_Hiruzen offered a small smile as he watched his apprentice relax into the couch for the first time in what felt like months._

As Minato crouched amongst the bamboo stalks of Kusagakure, he felt his face twist into a grin.

* * *

Minato darted around the battlefield, watching as the bodies of his enemy and comrades alike piled around him.

The Yellow Flash was by no means a forgettable moniker, but that doesn't mean the holder of the title enjoyed the war, or took pleasure in the massive slaughtering he carried out for the sake of his village.

No, Minato was well known in the leaf village for being a kind, caring person who was something of a family man. While he didn't have any blood relatives in the village, he had his wife Kushina _-The-Red-Hot-Habanero-_ Uzumaki, and his genin-turned-chunin & jonin team was probably the most well respected and talented in Konohagakure.

It came as no surprise when the enemy decided to retreat when he came to provide backup, his methods on the battlefield were not cruel, but they are extremely effective. 

While Minato is a symbol of hope in Konoha, he is still greatly feared in the other hidden villages, for reasons that are not unfounded.

Nearly 5 hours after he had left his students to their mission, and about thirty minutes after both Iwa and Konoha-nin alike decided to regroup, Minato made his way to the largest tent in middle of the camp. As he pushed up the tent flap, the blonde was met with this sight of Nara Shikaku staring directly at him.

"O-Oh I didn't realize I was interrupting-" Minato scratched his neck embarrassedly as he met the eyes of the Jonin Commander. 

"No Minato it's not a problem," Shikaku smiled good-naturedly at the Jonin, "thank you for your hard work out there today, I'm sure without your assistance we'd still be fighting." The ninja was ushered into the tent by Choza Akimichi, who offered him a plate of dango when he sat down.

"It really wasn't a problem, I'm always happy to help."

Shikaku waved Choza out of the tent. "As much as I would enjoy continuing with small talk, there's something I need to discuss with you."

Minato unconsciously straightened in his seat.

"As I'm sure you've already deduced by my presence here, the battle that just took place was rather brutal." Shikaku began, but as Minato opened his mouth to speak, he barreled on. "However, based on the movements of Iwa's troops, we should be able to pack up camp by late tonight, or early tomorrow morning. Should Iwa's troops continue to move in the direction I predict they are, the destruction of Kannabi Bridge will become crucial in the last few pushes towards crippling Iwagakure and finally ending the war." 

"And why do you believe that is?" Minato spoke uneasily.

"With resources already dwindling, and, if your team succeeds, the destruction of their largest remaining trading route, Iwa will be forced to rely on allies whose resources are also equally scarce. Kiri is nearing civil war on its remaining kekkei genkkai users, and with morale already plummeting, Suna will want to begin peace negotiations. The remainig hidden villages are already experiencing similar circumstances, and will most likely give in to the pressure between Suna & Konoha both calling an end to the war." It was here that the famed Nara genius really shone through, because even Minato, a genius in his own respect, couldn't've seen this far ahead. 

"Do you think Iwa understands the importance of the bridges destruction?" Minato began faintly, mind already racing with the implications for his students.

"I think they might have some idea." Shikaku stated grimly, which did nothing to calm Minato's growing anxiety.

"Listen Shikaku, I know that technically my mission here isn't complete here, and I should stay and pack up camp, but that's _my team_ out there, _my students_ are on that mission, and the ranking probably just shot up from an A to an _S_ and-" Minato's fervent ramblings came to a screeching halt as the Nara held his hand in the air.

"I understand Minato. Like hell I'd leave those kids out there on their own." Shikaku smiled as he watched some tension bleed out of Minato's shoulders. 

"I know I have no hope of keeping you here to rest, but we should be in the area for about as long as it takes your team to complete the mission. Should you ever even _think_ of needing assistance _do not_ hesitate to send for backup. Got it Minato?" Shikaku gave the blonde an uncompromising look that promised many a regret if he didn't take the Nara's advice.

"Yeah of course, I'll make sure we catch up to you guys on our way back." As Minato pushed up from his seat, he felt a pulse of his students chakra shoot through the kunai strapped to his belt.

"Damn it! Listen I have to go _now_ , like two hours ago now-" 

"Yeah yeah just make sure those kids don't get themselves killed out there." Shikaku grumbled. 

A gust of wind swept through the tent halfway through the Nara's sentence, and Minato was already gone by the time he had finished talking.

"Tch. Well this oughta be troublesome." The Jonin Commander muttered as Choza ambled back into the tent.

"Think they'll be alright?"

"I know they will, but there's a storm rolling in."

"What do you think it means?"

"I'm not sure yet."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The timelines is fucked in this show, so I decided to just make my own because honestly? Trying to figure out if the ages are correct and when certain events happen and how that corresponds to characters ages and other events is taking me hours so I'd rather start from scratch. It's canon divergence anyways.


	4. Chapter 4

A low, eerie howl rose across the clearing, and Minato's skin crawled as he crouched in the tree line of the glade.

When Minato had arrived some 2 hours after Genma's distress signal was sent out, he had found his kunai buried in the forest floor, hidden from the sight of both Iwa and Konoha-nin alike. While the Jonin could appreciate the tactical advantage the placement gave him, he desperately wished he knew where his students were. As it was, he only had a small idea as to what his students were doing, but he could definitely feel the Iwa troops movements as they surrounded the clearing. 

Minato cursed the Sandaime under his breath, he really should've seen the importance of this mission coming and sent a team better equipped to handle the sheer amount of enemies they would be facing. In normal circumstances, Minato could easily -more or less- handle the situation by himself, but between his earlier battle and the all out sprint he'd been in for the past 2 hours, he was pushing dangerous levels of exhaustion. At this point a tactical retreat was optimal; it wouldn't spell good news for the war, considering Iwa now knew just how important their little bridge was, but unless some backup magically appeared the endeavor would be as good as an A-rank suicide mission.

Quickly flashing through a couple hand signs, Minato pressed his bloody finger into the ground facing away from the clearing. There was a small _poof_ of smoke, and an undersized, yellow toad stared up at the blonde.

"Well what do you want tadpole? I haven't got all day." Minato sweat dropped at the nickname; he wasn't sure if Jiryia-sensei told them to call him that but it was getting old quick.

"I need you to find my students for me, I know they're somewhere around here and we need to to regroup for the night."

"And why can't you you use your fancy jutsu hm?" The toad looked irritable. Minato cursed whatever Kami decided it would be fun to screw with him today.

"Well I'm running rather low on chakra right now.." he was rather embarrassed about that, the battle shouldn't have taken as much out of him as it did. The Namikaze knew why it did of course, he wasn't hailed as a genius for nothing. He did feel rather stupid for getting stuck in a simple chakra-eater trap though. 

"Tch. Rookie mistake." the toad snorted. Minato felt his eyebrow twitch. The small amphibian raised an expectant eyebrow. 

"Well? Gonna give me a scent to follow? A plan? Or are you just going to continue to stand there like an idiot?" No matter his reputation on the battle field, Minato is still only nineteen years old, a child in the eyes of beings as old as his summons.

"Oh-um- right here you go." Minato holds out the broken strap of Obito's goggles, they had snapped when they were training some two days ago. Minato thinks back on the memory and the Uchiha's distraught face. _Maybe it was a sign of what's to come?_ The Namikaze shook his head as if to dislodge the the stewing negative thoughts.

As he watched the toad hop away, Minato began to form a plan in his head. There were plenty of upsides to being a genius, one was that whether he was conscious of it or not, Minato's brain was always planning and analyzing. It often made him absent-minded, and as such many doubted the caliber of his smarts; often that was a mistake that had cost many their lives or in some, extremely satisfying in Minato's opinion, cases dignities. The gratification the blonde had felt after beating the shinobi that had simultaneously insulted Kushina's hair _and_ Minato's intelligence to a pulp continues to be unmatched.

As Minato saw it, they would be safer making camp tonight and coming to a decision in the morning. Depending of the movement of Iwa's troop, where Shikaku's group would be, and how exhausted Minato's students were, he could make a better educated decision. The fact that he was practically swaying on his feet was definitely not a factor.

* * *

It had Obito's dream to awaken his sharingan since he was old enough to talk.

The Uchiha clan's doujutsu was a coveted thing. The clan's collective superiority complex and rocky history with Konoha was often a recipe for disaster, evidenced by Obito's standing in the Leaf. Obito was an orphan, whose caretaker was old enough to need one herself. His parents had died in the Second Great Ninja war. 

(Obito had found out early that there was nothing great about war like the titles would suggest. He simply couldn't understand what was so "great" about the seemingly endless bloody conflicts, and he had decided very early on that when he became Hokage there wouldn't be anymore wars. He knew it was a childish ambition but his resolve grew stronger each day, and he would find a way to make it work.)

It took extreme emotional toil to awaken the sharingan, Obito knew this. The clan preferred to sideline the grief and psychological repercussions of acquiring the doujutsu in favor of celebration. 

Obito had romanticized the idea of the doujutsu for so long, he hadn't really thought about how he would obtain it. He had only thought about his clan finally accepting _The Black Sheep_ into their fold. He'd imagined the proud faces of his clan-members for so long he forgot about how he would obtain his goal.

Now, with Rin in enemy hands, and Genma clutching his mutilated eye behind him as he sliced through disembodied chakra signatures, Obito would give anything to go back and savor the days of D-ranks with his team. 

He ducked and weaved, spinning around the Iwa-nin who seemed to be moving in slow-motion.

Obito knocked the kunai out of the last shinobis hand and he could feel hot tears slide down his face as he slit the man's throat. For an Uchiha, his integrity was astounding.

"Come on Genma, we gotta get back to sensei's kunai an-and get Rin back." Obito swung Genma's arm over his shoulder and began the trek back to the clearing where they had left the kunai. 

While they were moving, Obito kept his sharingan activated and jumped at every movement in the trees. Every once in a while he would catch traces of a green chakra signature that reminded him of Rin's Mystic Palm Technique, and he clung to it like a lifeline. Every time he stumbled or Genma cried out in pain, he would think about Rin and Minato-sensei, and his veins would burn with fiery determination.

He was Obito Uchiha. 

He was The Black Sheep of the Uchiha clan, and he _would_ become Hokage.

After he found Rin and pulverized those Iwa bastards. That came first.

Genma's scratchy voice interrupted his musings.

"Uh Obito? What is that thing?" Sure enough, when the Uchiha looked to where his classmate was pointing, a glaringly yellow toad with bright orange eyebrows that took up about half of it's face stood in their way. "Am I looking at a frog or are both of my eyes that fucked up?" Obito shot Genma a withering glare, but he was glad his teammate felt decent enough to make his trademark sarcastic quips. 

"Oi gaki! I am _not_ a frog, I am a toad." The small amphibian snarked, obviously taking offense to Genma's incorrect assumption.

"Hey you're one of Minato-sensei's summons aren't you? You gotta help us find Rin!" Obito is filled with renewed energy; if Minato-sensei is back, he can help them find Rin and fix Genma's eye so they can finally go home-

"We're regrouping with the tadepole first. I passed by your girlfriend about thirty minutes ago, the group with her was heading toward where we're headed anyway so by the time we meet up with your sensei, he'll have a plan to get her back." 

"Alright! Let's go kick some Iwa-ass!" Obito pumped his fist into the air, and Genma grunted something that resembled an affirmative, and the odd trio took to the tree-tops.

* * *

Sakumo isn't a soft person.

Despite this, while he is hidden away from sight in the treetops of Kusagakure he see's a girl, not that much older than Kakashi being taken away to the cave the Hatake's were just residing in, he feels hot anger burn in the pit of his stomach.

Sakumo isn't a soft person, but he does have a decent moral compass. 

Unfortunately for Sakumo, this was not a trait he passed down to his son. While Kakashi has an unerring sense of loyalty to anything he deems pack, just like any good Hatake, he has dubious morality at best when regarding anything outside of said pack.

Tsuki would find it incredibly endearing, (she's where he got all these god-forsaken traits after all) but Sakumo worries for his son. The eldest Hatake wants to have faith that his son will be just fine if something were to happen to him, but the wolves wouldn't be of much help, if anything they enable his unhealthy attachment to pack and his distaste for anything outside of it, and they'd be just about all he'd have without Sakumo.

"C'mon tou-san," Kakashi drags the _n_ out in a way he knows Sakumo finds adorable. "it's just some shinobi from Konoha, and besides, look at the troops moving in, there's clearly something important going on. Do you really want to stick around to find out what it is?" Sometimes Sakumo resents his pup's intuition. 

Something about the situation was setting his nerves on fire. He was _needed_ here. The silverette didn't know for what, but he intended to find out.

When Sakumo looked back at his son, he flashed his trademark, I'm-pack-alpha-don't-argue-with-me smile, and his adorable little Kashi-chan had the audacity to _growl_ at him! 

Kama was eyeing him shrewdly as well, but Sakumo couldn't bring himself to second-guess his decision. The Hatake knew deep down, _somehow_ , he was where he needed to be.

"Fine don't listen to reason, it's not like it would be the first time." His son grumbled, shifting away from the larger Hatake's branch.

There were an alarming number of enemies gathered near the clearing and by Kannabi Bridge, Sakumo mused to himself. The Hatakes' have never faced this many enemies alone, it would surely prove to be a challenge. Sakumo felt his heart-rate tick up a few beats, and he makes to jump off the branch into the clearing; Kakashi grabs his arm tightly and sends him a glare that could freeze over the sun. The larger man pulled on his earring in an subconscious act of nerves. What? His son can be pretty terrifying.

"If we're really going to do this we're going to be smart about it _tou-san_." Kakashi gives Sakumo a grin filled with far too many teeth. "Reconnaissance and a cohesive plan first. Then you can go ahead and feed your suicidal hero-complex."

Sakumo almost sweat-drops, but an idea that he really should've seen earlier comes to mind.

"You know Kashi-chan, it has been a while since we've had a feast." Kakashi makes a valiant effort to hide his interest, but The White Fang knows his son well; the pup's curiosity has been piqued. "We could go hunting tonight?" There's a war that flashes through Kakashi's eyes in a matter of seconds, but in the end he concedes. His tou-san is right, a good hunt is far overdue. 

Sakumo recognizes that he has won, and almost lets out a whoop of triumph, but decides better of it. Best not push his son's patience, after all, the pup _was_ right about needing a plan. He's like his mother that way; always taking responsibility and berating Sakumo for his reckless tendencies.

About fifteen minutes after they reach a decision, three new chakra signatures approach the clearing. Instead of joining Iwa's troops, they creep around to a lone signature on the other side of the clearing, and the pieces start to fit together in Sakumo's mind. 

Sakumo sends a quick glance Kakashi's way and nearly beams in pride when his son gives him a look that tells the elder Hatake they're on the same page. He watches as the pup's hands flash through a couple quick signs. 

_We'll wait until they make their move, whichever side does first doesn't matter. We aren't going to rush in head first and get ourselves killed._

Sakumo signs an affirmative in response, tugging on his right earring twice, and smiles when Kakashi does the same. 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be "The Encounter!" wooohooo!!!  
> Anyways, I'm really proud of this one, leave me some feedback in the comments!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Strap in and grab your hot-chocolate, it's -25 degrees Fahrenheit where I am, and I'm feeling angsty!  
> Naruto does not belong to me, nor do I profit from this publication.   
> Au Revoir!

Kakashi Hatake is a naturally pragmatic person.

This is why when the girl in the cave breaks free from the illusion she's just been trapped in, he doesn't introduce himself as Kakashi _Hatake,_ just as Kakashi. He knows, despite how tou-san might try to shelter him, Kakashi knows the importance of his name. His father is The White Fang, feared among all the Elemental Nations even though to most he is nothing more than a bedtime story.

Something painful pulls in his gut when the kunoichi asks after his surname, and he wants to tell her because he should not have to hide who he is for the sake of some random Konoha-nin's emotional well being, _and it's not fair why is everyone scared of him-_

Instead of giving into temptation, Kakashi grabs the kunoichi's wrist and hauls her off the ground. **(1)**

"Hey- what are you doing? Who are you? What's going on?" Kakashi withheld a sigh. He knew this girl would be more trouble than she was worth, but _no,_ tou-san just _had_ to play hero again. _His father_ , Kakashi muses, _is a rather idealistic person._

The kunoichi has stopped walking again, and there was a sharp clang of metal against metal outside of the cave that reminds Kakashi of the battle progressing just out of his reach. Kakashi twists around face her fully, and gives her an icy stare; much to Kakashi's satisfaction she shrinks back slightly. To Kakashi's never-ending displeasure however, she proceeds to stand up taller and looks him right in the eye. The Hatake will admit, albeit grudgingly, that takes guts.

"My name is Rin." Kakashi blinks, taken by surprise. That was… not what he was expecting.

"Kakashi." he offers, mind still blank in confusion. 

They make it a few steps before she starts asking questions again.

"Are you from Iwagakure?" It's an innocent question, but unless the kunoichi is just to distracted and hasn't noticed the intestines they're wading through right now, she's having trouble trauma processing.

Kakashi scoffs and gestured around the cave to the shredded bodies of the Iwa-nin. "Do I look like I'm from Iwa?" Rin turns to look at the slaughter house that makes up the cave, and her face turns an unsightly shade of green.

Its about two seconds after she finishes finishes upchucking her lunch that the cave starts to rumble around them.

* * *

When Minato had caught sight of Gamashirou leading his team through the woods, he had been ecstatic.

Finally, _finally_ , they could go back to Konoha and hand over this spirits-damned mission to an actually qualified team, and leave this behind like the bad memory it was quickly becoming. Minato was sick of Kusa to say the least.

His good mood had been quickly dashed however, by the grim set of his summons jaw, the way Genma is wrapped around Obito's shoulder, and _oh god where's Rin-_

He knew he shouldn't've let them go, he had a bad feeling about the mission before they had even left, everyone had smiled and laughed about first day jitters and Minato's mother-hen reputation. 

Now his only female student was dead and it was his fault.

He felt hot tears sting in his eyes, a sharp contrast to the crusted dryness they had endured for the past few hours, Donton-jutsu tended to leave battlefields gritty and coated in a thin layer of dust. Minato was going to ask Obito to borrow him some of his notorious eye-drops, the things were damn useful.

Minato cringed at his own minds mention of Obito. 

It was no secret that the young Uchiha was infatuated with is female teammate, everyone, even the civilians knew it. Everyone except, of course, Rin herself. Sometimes Minato wondered why his life seemed to follow the same clichés as a bad piece of literature. How was he dealing with this? Rin was his bestfriend, she was the first person to acknowledge him and respect him, (Kushina often speculates that is the actual reason Obito has a "crush" on her, and Minato has to agree. It would make sense regardless.) 

So when Minato had looked up he had naturally expected to see Obito with those big fat crocodile tears rolling down his cheeks, the same ones he got after visiting the Uchiha compound on Saturday nights, just more, well, heartbroken. 

What he was not expecting to find upon looking into his students eyes was the burning determination that blazed in them.

"Sensei!" the blonde realized he had zoned out again. Genma let out a grunt as Obito crouched down to Minato's eye level, most likely jostling his teammates injury in the process. "Sensei you gotta help Genma, then we can get Rin back and she can help him better, you know some medical-jutsu right? I know you're a frontline fighter but you have to know some to graduate the academy and I already used what little bit I know but I figure you should probably know more because you're a Jonin you know and-"

Minato's hand pressed over his student's mouth to interrupt the rambling Uchiha.

"Genma, I'm going to have you lay down so I can get a good look at your eye alright?" The younger Jonin sighed and lifted himself off of his teammate and sat on the ground in front of his Sensei. Minato raised an expectant eyebrow. The brunette laid on the muddy ground, albeit extremely reluctantly and grumbling the whole way down.

Minato's knee's squelched in the mud, his hands casting an eerie green glow over Genma's face while he performed a diagnostic technique. The green was nothing like a regular medic-nin's chakra, it was a sickly sweet hue that looked like it was threatening to die out at any moment. 

"Obito," the blonde began slowly, sticking his tongue out in concentration. "What did you mean _get Rin back_?" The jutsu in his hands spluttered out when Genma sat up to face him. The two students faced their teacher, solemn expressions and lips drawn tight.

"Finish bandaging my eye first old man, then we'll tell you all about this shit-show of a mission." Genma grimaced, wiping some blood off his face and onto his shirtsleeve.

Minato finished wrapping the gauze around Genma's head and sat back on his heels looking inquiringly at his students.

They hesitated before Genma let out a long sigh and started giving his sensei a field report in true team leader fashion.

Nails bite into the meat of Minato's palms as he listens to his student. Obito butts in every once in a while when Genma blanches on the details, or couldn't see through his pain addled haze. _Kami-sama_ his students sound far more tired than mere 14 year old's should. War, Minato has found, takes and takes and _takes,_ and he has yet to see it give. The Namikaze has seen the sparkle die out of to many shinobi's eyes. He _will not_ stand by and watch the same thing happen to his kids.

Resolve strengthened, Minato begins to analyze the situation, but there's something that still doesn't make sense.

"You said the jutsu allowed the Iwa-nin to become invisible yes?" both his students offered him a small nod. "Well then how were you able to, you know, kill them?" Genma makes a small _hmphing_ noise, and Obito's eyes shine like Kushina's when Minato says he'll pay for Ichiraku ramen.

"Like this that's how!" Obito spoke triumphantly, and his iris' turned a deep scarlet. "I took them all down myself! I can see chakra signatures, isn't that cool sensei?" Minato openly gaped. Of he course he had faith that his student would eventually unlock his cans prized doujutsu, he was just surprised that's all. The blonde was openly spluttering now, much to his Uchiha students disappointment. Genma was snickering in the background. 

Obito crossed his arms, clearly irritated. "Will you act a _little_ less surprised? Honestly." He cut the flow of chakra from his eyes and twisted his head indignantly away from Minato's apologetic puppy eyes. 

The Namikaze smiled widely at his student, he was extremely proud despite his initial reaction's tell. "Congratulations Obito! I know how long you've waited for this when we get back-" 

Minato was interrupted when Obito shook his head. "We can celebrate after we get Rin back." The smile dropped from Minato's face as he was reminded of his other students predicament. "Listen Obito-" Minato's sentence was cut short _yet again_ by his other students quiet hand signals and sharp stare.

 _Two signatures above, they appear to be monitoring us. Orders?_ Minato schooled his face into something less surprised than he felt, and berated himself once again for getting stuck in that chakra eater. His awareness was currently pitiful at best, who knows what he would look like on a battlefield right now; the blonde knew he certainly wasn't living up to his reputation at the moment.

He lifted his hands to sign back to Genma, and caught Obito's gaze as well. _Stand down and do not engage. We'll wait for their move, defend and try not to attack._ His students signed an affirmative response, and the trio sat in a slightly tense silence.

About half an hour into the uneasy silence there was an unnatural rustle of leaves about twelve feet away from where the group was resting. Instantly on their guard, the team twisted around, kunai in hand and sharingan readily activated. 

"Tou-san," _Wait what?_ "I told you to wait until they made a move to engage!" A kid, no older than Minato's students, appeared alongside the hulking figure of, apparently, his father. "Maa Kashi-kun," the child growled, presumably at the nickname, "they were waiting for _us_ to engage, it would've taken forever for you to concede and make a move, so I decided to make the decision for you!" The older man rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. 

Minato began to analyze the odd pair in front of him. They were definitely related, even if Minato hadn't hear the smaller one call the man tou-san, he would've been able to tell, hell a blind man probably could. Their resemblances were striking. They had the exact same features, their facial structure was the same, the deathly paleness of their skin, the deep obsidian eyes, and the otherworldly white hair. They even wore the exact same attire. Black cargo pants that went about to the calf until white bandages wrapped themselves down to standard issue shinobi sandals, a kunai holster attached to belt and thigh, and a black, high collar, skin tight top that stopped around mid shoulder, where a fishnet undershirt made itself visible until the armguards that rested along their forearms obscured them. Their garb was eerily similar to Konoha's ANBU, apart from the lack of hitae-ate or mask- 

Wait. Minato's brain stalled as he took in their appearances once more. Where was their village affiliation? Surely they wouldn't have to fight missing-nin _as well_ as the assembly of Iwa-nin already waiting for them. This was shaping up to be one of the worst missions Minato had ever been on. 

"Who are you?" The blonde blurted rather unprofessionally, and the child scoffed at him. _Scoffed!_ He felt the tips of his ears heat up.

"Are you sure this is the Yellow Flash tou-san? He's rather unimpressive." The little menace looked at Minato haughtily and his father sweat-dropped. Minato saw Obito's eyebrow twitch in his peripheral vision.

The Uchiha opened his mouth to no-doubt dig the Konoha shinobi a bigger whole, but the kid began to speak again. "Regardless, who we are isn't important. We came to offer our assistance, and if you decide to accept or help or don't makes no difference to me."

The older man offered a grimace that was clearly meant as a smile. "My name is Sakumo, and this is my son Kakashi. We were just heading away from this area when I noticed a group of Iwa-nin moving in- ouch!" The silverette rubbed where his son had elbowed him. "Sorry I'm rambling aren't I? I know where they're keeping your student and would like to help you get her back." Sakumo smiled good-naturedly, and Minato's brain short-circuited. 

"You-you what?" the words tumbled out of his slack-jawed mouth. Sakumo chuckled, and it was much more disarming than it had any right to be.

Apparently fed up with his sensei's inability to form a cohesive thought, Genma took over the conversation. "Why the hell should we trust you? For all we know this could be some weird ploy to get us to turn ourselves in, or you're missing-nin just looking to wreak havoc just for kicks." Obito nodded fervently in the background, evidentially wanting to add to the conversation even though he had nothing to say. 

Kakashi's eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth, but his father set a placating hand on his silver mane of hair and he was effectively silenced. Sakumo unstrapped his tanto and set it on the ground in front of Minato's team, much to his son's disapproval. "Your teammate she's a medic isn't she?" The Konoha shinobi tensed at the mention of Rin, all too aware of the pressing issue. "She's about 5'2, brunette, and has two purple tattoo's on her cheeks right?" Sakumo continued, and genuine worry swam in his eyes. "I know it may not sound believable, but I really do want to help you, and besides, I'm quite sure you aren't in a position to refuse our offer." 

Minato sighed and plopped onto the ground in front of Sakumo, and placed one of his famous kunai alongside Sakumo's tanto. His students gawked at his trusting demeanor.

"I have absolutely no reason to trust you. The two of you show up after monitoring us for thirty minutes with intel on our missing teammate, no visible village affiliation, and no surname to speak of." Sakumo winced and made to defend himself but Minato barreled onwards. "Despite this, I trust you. Whether it be years of battle-hardened intuition coming to my aid, or my senses are more shot than I think they are, I have decided to place my faith in you. It may be extremely foolish of me, and I may come to regret this choice in the end, but you are right. We'll need any backup we can find right now, and normally I'd wait, but I need to get my student back and destroy that Kami-sama damned bridge so this conflict can finally be over with-" Minato placed his face in his hands, and sighed deeply. He felt Obito's hand come to rest on his shoulder, and Genma's presence behind him. The blonde suddenly felt years ahead of himself, and profoundly felt he understood the age lines creasing the Sandaime's eye's.

"I can see now why they're considering you for the position of Yondaime. The Will of Fire burns strongly within you." Minato's head snapped up. The fact that a missing-nin knew this information should've sent red flags blaring through Minato's mind, but he couldn't help but feel comforted by Sakumo's kind words and comforting temperament.

"Thank you Sakumo-san." The Namikaze didn't have to fake the gratitude in his tone. 

"Are we done with the mush-fest or do I have to wait another two years to propose my plan of action?" Kakashi tapped his foot impatiently on the ground and raised one of his eyebrows, staring down through white lashes at the adults with a look of contempt adorning his features. 

Sakumo chuckled and Minato rubbed the back of his head abashedly. 

Genma and Obito sat alongside their teacher, twin looks of apprehension settling on their faces. 

"Let's go Kashi-kun, we haven't got all day!" Sakumo joked to which his son glowered, but sat down nonetheless. 

* * *

When Rin pulls herself from the gen-jutsu she'd apparently been trapped in for the past two or three hours, the first thing she notices is the wild mane of white hair directly in her line of sight. 

The second thing is, of course, the person attached to the hair. It isn't every day that you get kidnaped by Iwa-nin only to wake up to one not trying to hurt you. Rin doesn't know a lot about hostage situations, but she's pretty sure captors aren't supposed to offer you an arm to stand up with. 

She's also pretty sure you aren't supposed to acknowledge the looks of said abductor, but he really is pretty. At least she thinks he is. After prolonged exposure to gen-jutsu, the brain has trouble adjusting to reality. This, in turn, causes your eyesight and other senses to play tricks on you, and because Rin hasn't specially trained her senses like an Inuzuka would, she isn't trusting any of what she see's right now to be reality and not some weird conjured hallucination from her imagination. She finds it exceedingly strange that her brain would decide to provide her a presumably attractive Iwa-nin in her time of distress and not someone more recognizable like her father or Minato-sensei.

In light of the revelation that this Iwa-nin is probably _not_ in fact a figment of her imagination and is a real person staring down rather irritably at her, she takes his extended arm gratefully and pulls herself off the muddy ground. **(1)** Rin finds it rather strange that the ground of a cave would be muddy, but she doesn't give it much thought; geology wasn't a subject she excelled in during her academy days.

After a rather rude word-vomit on her part, Rin stops walking in order to compose herself. Normally she wouldn't feel to awful about being rude to an enemy, but now that her vision has cleared somewhat, she can recognize that the boy doesn't have an Iwa-hitae-ate, he doesn't have one _at all._ Rin prays to whatever Kami is listening that he isn't a missing-nin as she's fixed with a truly fearsome glare.

"My name is Rin." The brunette blurts before she can think better of it, and the possibly Iwa and/or missing-nin blinks, evidentially surprised. 

"Kakashi." Is all the shinobi offers in reply, but it's a good enough icebreaker for Rin to build off of. The kunoichi now registers the ringing in her ears is actually the clashing of metal on metal outside of the cave. Strange.

The walk for a bit before she decides to pull the band-aide off completely. "Are you from Iwagakure?" she inquires, not unkindly, but filled with enough suspicion for Kakashi to sort through her feelings about his origins easily.

Kakashi snorts, and Rin blushes, feeling like she's missing something staring her right in the face.

"Do I look like I'm from Iwa?" he asks, sweeping his hand around the cave in a gesture of mocking. It's an open-ended question and as much as Rin wants to retort with some Genma inspired-wit, her brain stalls. As her eyes skim the carnage that makes up the cave floor, she realizes now why she thought it was strange that the cave floor was that muddy. Rin has seen war and destruction, she has not been spared the never-ending cruelties of the shinobi world, but it hasn't gotten any easier to look at like Hokage-sama said it would. 

The blood his caked onto her clothes Rin realizes, as she wades through knee deep gore with a stranger that is unfeeling towards the filth that seeps into Rin's very soul. 

The brunette feels something hot burning the back of her throat as she tries to tear her eyes away the massacre but finds she simply can't. Tears prick her eyes as she registers the coppery smell that is overpowering in it's heavy aroma. Stumbling, she falls to her knee's and comes face-to-face with an eyeball, shredded to the point it's almost not recognizable. Rin opens her mouth, possibly to scream, but instead of the cry she so desperately wishes to release, bile rises to her throat and pushes it's way out. 

After she's done hurling into the already disgusting mess of the ground Rin wipes her forehead and sighs. Her throat is scratchy and she now understands why her mother used to demand tea when she was done puking her guts out in the mornings. That, and Rin's position as a medic made her uniquely gifted at creating hangover cures. **(2)**

Rin would feel embarrassed about the fact that Kakashi watched her display, were it not for the fact that the cave had begun to rumble around her. Instead of the fear she knows she should feel, Rin sighs in resignation. The kunoichi is too emotionally drained to feel much of anything else, even as she finds herself dodging the crumbling ceiling, her mysterious companion looks like a spirit guide leading her to the entrance of the tunnel. Her ears strain and through the rumbling, grating noise of the rocks she can hear her team's panicked yelling. 

As if to contradict her earlier thoughts of peaceful apathy, her heart begins to thunder in her ears when she spots a particularly large boulder grinding it's way from the protective hold of the earthen ceiling. Rin realizes with no small amount of trepidation that if it lands her and Kakashi, there's no way they'll survive.

Time seems to slow down as the hopelessness of the situation seems to hit her. It's not like she hadn't known this was a possibility when she had graduated, everyone did. It's different when you are actually in the life or death situation however. Rin thinks about her fathers small woodworking shop, and the piece that lay uncomplete on his workbench, awaiting her return. The brunette thinks about how his eyes looked at her mothers funeral, the emptiness she felt down in her soul. It's wartime, and her mother passed two months ago to, ironically enough, liver failure. Rin hasn't visited her grave, unsure about how to work through her feelings, should she be sad? Should she blame her? Is she allowed to express the anger she feels, is it wrong to disrespect the dead like that? Rin hopes, in a bittersweet kind of way, that when she moves onto the Pure Lands she's allowed to see her cat before her mother. She wonders if that's wrong. 

Before Rin can delve deeper into her relationship with her mother and her own death, there's a flash of white at the front of the cave that looks exactly like Kakashi's hair. Looking down to her wrist where the shinobi's hand is still gripped, she wonders when she managed to make a clone, but the thought is quickly dashed when she can actually see the figure running towards her. Although he could definitely pass off _Kakashi_ as his clone, the man looks to be the younger shinobi's father. There's a wild look in the man's eye and blood staining his teeth, and Rin's eye's widen when she see's the hand-signs he's making. There's a guttural shriek filled with anguish when Kakashi figures it out as well.

" _KAWARIMI NO JUTSU!_ " A deep baritone cries, filled with desperation, and, at the same time, resolution.

Rin feels as if she's intruding on something private when tears spring to Kakashi's eye's, and the man that Rin can safely call her savior pushes his hands together in the final ram seal. The world spins and before she knows it, Rin can see the surprised faces of her teammates and the bloody clearing. She's relived to find them relatively uninjured, but before she can take in the sight of Genma's bandaged head and Obito's sharingan, she's knocked unconscious. 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to anyone who wanted a lot of action, it's just not something I'm comfortable with yet.  
> Also, AHHHHHH!!!! Whooohooo! They finally met! Yeah it's an angst fest, but it happened!  
> I decided to make reference notes for clarification, or if I just wanted to add something I felt was important to reader understanding.  
> 1\. I'm writing this in in a way that flows from different P.O.V's in 1st person omnipresent, or limited depending on context, so what happens and how characters perceive these happenings will differ depending on who the section is centered around. I write this way because it's easier on my creative process, and because I enjoy when a bit of speculation is up to the readers.
> 
> 2\. Anyone with half a brain can recognize that Kishimoto's strong suit is not his female characterization. I intend to remedy that. Even though this is based around a male character, strong females are my weakness, so if you are a Sakura-basher, kindly reassess yourself and your values please. On to what this has to do with this line. Rin's character is used as a stepping stone for Kakashi's trauma and I hate it. So much. I put a ton of thought into how I wanted to remedy this, and decided on a little self-projection. I want to focus on her struggles with her (my) mothers alcoholism and how this affects her relationship with the females in her lives. It gives me a good outlet + good character backbone.

**Author's Note:**

> I'd love to hear everyones feedback, & constructive critisism would be very helpful.  
> I didn't really watch Naruto or Shippuden that closely so sorry if some things are off.


End file.
